Demand for Personal Geiger Counters Soars in Japan
May 26th, 2011Via: Reuters:
With a nuclear plant just 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo still leaking radiation, demand for personal Geiger counters has skyrocketed in the Japanese capital and manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the demand.
Engineers are battling to plug radiation leaks and bring the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant under control more than two months after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and deadly tsunami that devastated a swathe of Japan’s coastline.
With many people unsure of who to trust for their information, some are buying Geiger counters to check for themselves.
In Akihabara, Tokyo’s electronics mecca, many stores have sold out and are unable to keep up with demand for the devices.
“Nobody even looked at or even knew the name (of the Geiger counter), but ever since the earthquake struck people have become very interested,” said Makoto Ogasawara, sales manager at electronics store Akibaoo.
“We are selling 100 times more.”
While progress is slowly being made to bring the disaster under control, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) confirmed on Tuesday that the fuel rods at three reactors at the plant had melted down. Radioactive traces exceeding national safety standards have been found in various foods grown in areas around the plant as well as in tap water in places as far away as Tokyo, keeping residents on edge.
a sizeable proportion of people have completely given up on the govt propaganda. maybe 20% of the popn has decided they need to have more reliable info sources to protect themselves and their families, employees, students, etc.